Saturday, February 07, 2015

If you want to make these at home, you need to collect some rings. I had two rings, and that was so not enough. If you're cooking on a decent sized griddle, six rings would be good. I used 3-inch rings, but next time I'll try 4-inch rings. Alton Brown says you can use tuna cans with tops and bottoms removed, but make sure they are at least 3 inches wide (and ideally wider). Also, keep in mind that a lot of canned food uses BPA-lined cans; heating up some bread inside a BPA-lined tin is probably not a great idea. Ideally, I'd aim for rings that are about 1-inch tall. Taller ones will work, but if you're like me, you'll have a tendency to overfill them.
Adapted from Alton Brown's English Muffin Recipe

Pre-heat griddle to 300° F. (On our gas griddle, this is about 1 notch above "low." If you have a heavy griddle, like a cast iron one, you'll want to let it pre-heat for a while.)

Add remaining salt and the baking soda and mix thoroughly. (Alton Brown's recipe does not call for baking soda, but apparently adding it will improve the nooks and crannies. I did not use soda, but will try it next time.)

Place several 4" metal rings on the griddle. Spray with vegetable oil.

Add a scant 1/4 c. of batter to each ring. Cover the rings with a cookie sheet, and let cook for 5 minutes.

Flip the rings using a spatula and tongs, and cook covered for 5 more minutes.

Cool muffins on a rack. Split open with a fork. (You can also just slice them open with a bread knife, but you'll get a more interesting surface if you split with a fork.)